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Wednesday, August 03, 2022

Some Noise!

The noise prevails.

The noise was interesting during the Arizona, Michigan, Washington and Kansas primaries. 

Two polarizing lawmakers in the Democratic caucus easily beat their primary rivals. Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) survive their primary challenges. They were targeted by more moderate candidates in an attempt to disrupt the Squad. Bush, a lawmaker and activist is best known for her showboating and partisan grandstanding. She defeated Steven Roberts, a state lawmaker embattled with allegations of sexual abuse. He was endorsed by Lacy Clay, Jr., the former lawmaker defeated by Bush.

Tlaib was considered the most vulnerable member of The Squad. She was representing a Black district and she is a Palestinian-American lawmaker who angered many of the pro-Israeli lawmakers because she wants the country held accountable for criminal acts. 

Tlaib beats back other Democratic candidates in the race: Lathrup Village Mayor Kelly Garrett; Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey; and former state House member Shanelle Jackson of Detroit. The Associated Press and other analysts declared Tlaib the Democratic winner. 

Former Missouri governor Karen Greitens isn't RINO as the nominee of the GOP in the open senate race. He was defeated by Missouri Attorney General Karen Schmidt. It was a race between two Erics and Washed Up 45 did not mention which one who would win when he posted an endorsement on his Truth Social. Schmidt will face off Democrat Trudy Busch Valentine, who defeated Marine veteran Lucas Kunce and nine others in the Both also face a challenge from a well-funded independent, John Wood, who has the financial backing of former Sen. John Danforth.

Rep. Karen Meijer (R-MI) is defeated by Black coonservative John Gibbs. Meijer, the son of Hank Meijer, CEO of the Meijer superstores voted to impeach Washed Up 45 had conceded. Gibbs ahead by almost 4,000 votes with more than 88% of the expected ballots counted. 

“This was a hard-fought primary campaign and I want to thank everyone in west Michigan for their support. … I also want to congratulate my opponent, John Gibbs, on his victory tonight,” Meijer said in a statement, according to the Detroit Free Press. 

“I’m proud to have remained true to my principles, even when doing so came at a significant political cost,” he added.

Meijer on Monday called out the House Democrats’ campaign organization for what he called a “naked political gambit” by heavily donating to Gibbs in a transparent attempt to elevate the “weaker Republican candidate ahead of the November midterm elections.”

He said the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spent $435,000 on an ad buy to promote Gibbs in the waning days of the primary — more than Gibbs had raised during his entire campaign and nearly 100 times more than Washed Up 45 contributed via his Save America Super PAC.

One survives and one falls.

Rep. Harley Stevens (D-MI) defeats Rep. Andy Levin (D-MI). Stevens, a staunch supporter of Israel defeats, Levin, the son of a political dynasty and a progressive who is critical of Israeli occupation of Palestinian. Levin is the son of former Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich., and a nephew of the late Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich. At least one member of the family has served in Congress since 1979 — a run that will come to an end in January.

The rare incumbent-vs.-incumbent primary matchup was the result of a redistricting plan that merged portions of their current districts, with more voters coming from Stevens's current territory.

In an unusual twist, Levin, who is Jewish, was forced to defend his record on Israel-related policies against attacks from supporters of Stevens, who has been more hawkish on the issue despite not being Jewish. A super PAC affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee spent $4.2 million on ads boosting Stevens and hitting Levin, while J Street, a progressive pro-Israel group, paid about $700,000 for ads backing Levin.

Karen Dixon, an election denier won her bid for Michigan governor. Tudor Dixon has come out on top in a crowded primary field and will face incumbent Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the November general election. Whitmer is seeking a second term as governor following a tumultuous few years filled with criticism over her handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which included a slow economic recovery for the state, a large loss of small businesses, and suffering school performance.

Karen Lake has a slim lead the Arizona Republican primary for governor. The former news reporter is a white nationalist. The woman already is promoting conspiracy theories about the primary and even spelled ballots wrong.

Lake had 46.2% of the vote, and Karen Robson had 44.5% in the Republican primary. The two women are seeking to succeed term-limited Gov. Karen Ducey, a Republican.

Lake on Tuesday night predicted in a speech to supporters at a primary election night rally that she is "winning this 100%" and claimed that there's "no path to victory for my opponent. We won this race."

Robson took to Twitter to tell supporters "we feel calm and confident, and we will wait for every vote to be counted!"

Robson was endorsed by former vice president Karen M. Pence and Ducey, while Lake was endorsed by Washed Up 45. The race is too close to call.

Rep. Karen Herrera Beutler (R-WA) voted to impeach Washed Up 45. She ended up defeating her Republican challenger. The longtime Republican lawmaker is facing a strong challenge from Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez who also advanced.

Rep. Karen Newhouse (R-WA) is leading in his own primary as well, having garnered 27% of votes early on, followed by Democrat Doug White at 26%. He also voted to impeach Washed Up 45 as well.

Former news reporter turned white nationalist is vying for Arizona governor.

Kansas was a game changer for women's rights. The state rejected a constitutional ban on abortion. Being a Republican friendly state, the legislature could not outright ban abortion without voter approval. It appears that many in the state rather let the individual and her doctor handle the matter. The Kansas ballot initiative is seen as a bellwether for the impact of abortion on the midterm November elections. 

Since the Supreme Court's controversial ruling ending the federal right to an abortion, at least 12 states have either banned abortion outright or after six weeks of pregnancy. Other states are also expected to move forward with further restrictions.

In Kansas, voters reaffirmed abortion is constitutionally protected, leaving in place a 2019 decision by the state Supreme Court. That ruling stated that a person has the right to personal autonomy and applied strict scrutiny to regulating abortion. The Kansas legislature would not be able to ban or enact further restrictions on abortion without a constitutional amendment. 

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